1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processor including a display unit openable and closable with respect to its body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An information processor, such as a personal computer and a word processor, that is classified as a so-called lap top or notebook type is, as illustrated in FIG. 14, constructed of a body unit 100 equipped with a keyboard 101, a printer 102, and a display unit 103 equipped with a display 104, such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display. This display unit 103 serves as a cover for the keyboard 101 and is therefore connected to the body unit 100 so that the display 104 pivots between a position where the display 104 is closed in a face-to-face relationship with the keyboard 101 and a position of such an angle that the display 104 is visible to the operator.
In recent years, for the purpose of facilitating input operations, there has been utilized an information processor capable of inputting handwritten characters and images with an input pen and also moving a cursor by providing, on a display 104, a resistance film screen formed by piling transparent electrodes, etc. Thus, among the input operations involving the use of a keyboard 101, comparatively easy input operations can be done by handwriting with the input pen 105 and providing a resistance film screen on the display 104. Therefore, a variety of proposals have thus been made for enhancing the operability in terms of the handwriting input instead of inputting by the keyboard 101. One example of such a proposal is where a display unit 103 is separated into a connection unit connected directly to a body unit 100 and a display holding unit, wherein the display holding unit is rotatably connected to the connection unit through a second axle (also referred to as an axis) extending in a direction orthogonal to a first axle for making the connection unit rotatably connective to the body unit 100. If such a construction is adopted, the display holding unit of the display unit 103 is rotated through 180 degrees, and, in this state, the whole display unit 103 can cover the keyboard 101. With this arrangement, the keyboard 101 is covered with the display unit 103, while the display 104 appears outside while being set in the direction of its planar surface. Accordingly, the operator is able to perform the handwriting inputs as easily as writing a letter or a drawing on a notebook and is able to see the output result from a printer while performing the handwriting.
A further proposal in terms of constructing the normal information processor, without a resistance film screen on the display 104, is that the display holding unit can be turned over to present the information displayed on the display to those other than the operator.
According to the above described constructions, however, the first and second axles rotate individually independently. Hence, there is no restriction in terms of an angular position of the whole display unit 103 with respect to the body unit 100 when the display holding unit is rotated (through 180 degrees) about the second axle. In consequence, the display holding unit is still rotatable even when the whole display unit 103 is in angular positions, exclusive of such an angular position as to be upright with respect to the body unit 100. However, when the display holding unit is rotated in these angular positions, it follows that the display holding unit impinges upon the body unit 100 (the keyboard 101 or the printer 102), with the result that these units may be damaged.